The Queen Suriyothai Monument is located north of the city island near the Chao Phraya River. It can be reached by Highway 347 and also a small paved road paralleling the river. This national monument is situated in an area known as the Makham Yong Plain, which is believed to be the actual site where a Siamese queen was killed in a heroic battle.

As the story goes, while perched on the neck of an elephant, King Chakkraphat (1548-1569) led his army into battle against Burmese troops. Meanwhile, Queen Suriyothai, fearing for her family’s safety, secretly dressed as a male soldier and rode an elephant into the ongoing conflict. Unfortunately, King Chakkraphat’s elephant stumbled in battle, putting him at imminent risk of being struck by his opponent’s blade. However, Queen Suriyothai suddenly charged in front of the enemy’s weapon sacrificing her own life to save her royal husband (Cushman 40-41). This heroic deed helped end the battle and extend the life of the Ayutthaya a bit longer.

The story of Queen Suriyothai remained popular in the public mind, and was further promoted by Royal family members such as the historian Prince Damrong Rajanubhab. After the system of absolute monarchy fell in 1932, there was a desire to sustain the spirit of nationalism in order to keep the country unified. As a result, one of the military coup leaders, Phibun Songkhram, promoted a number of historic monuments to provoke a sense of patriotism.

As a consequence, a few Siamese heroines became national symbols in order to enshrine the idea that defense and sacrifice were needed for the sake of the country. A number of monuments were erected for females such as Thao Suranari (or Ya Mo), who defended Siam from Laotian invaders; Thao Thepsatri and Thao Sriunthorn, two sisters who repelled Burmese forces in Phuket; as well as Princess Suphankalaya who nobly sacrificed her life to free her brother Prince Naresuan so that Siam could be freed from Burmese oppression (Wong 106-117). Naturally, Queen Suriyothai also took the spotlight as nationalistic symbol that Thai women could emulate. In 1943, Phibun's wife established the Women's Cultural Club using Queen Suriyothai as its national symbol while expanding into almost every province.

The construction of the Queen Suriyothai monument in Ayutthaya didn't begin until the reign of Prime Minister Prem Tinsulanonda (1980-1988), after Her Majesty Queen Sirikit requested that such a monument be built. This memorial was created by Khaimuk Chuto (also sometimes written as Khaimuk or Khaimook Chouto, Chudoo or Xuto), a highly-respected female student who studied under Silpa Bhirasri (an Italian sculptor known as Corrado Feroci before he obtained Thai citizenship in the 1940s). Khaimuk Chuto was one of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit favorite Thai artists. It took until 1995 for the monument to be finally unveiled. Chuto died shortly afterward, and it was her last artistic project to reach completion.

The original monument consisted of Queen Suriyothai heroically charging into battle while perched on the back of an elephant. Four Siamese soldiers defend her while walking beside each leg of her elephant. Meanwhile, a group of ten commoners -- old young, male and female -- emotionally react to her tragic sacrifice in different ways. The memorial currently stands in the middle of a large public park. There is a lake in situ with models of wooden fortresses. In addition, the memorial once included four Burmese opponents in battle on elephant back, however, these four war structures were latter moved to elephant kraal on the Phaniat Peninsula, and once again to a small park closer to the Phaniat Palace where they can still be viewed today.

Modern folklore has taken shape in relation to this monument. Over the past decade, locals have come to believe that Queen Suriyothai's face was cast to resemble the features of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit - who felt a strong affinity to the popular heroine. Some locals also think that the soldiers next to each leg of the elephant were designed to resemble four military leaders behind the 1991 coup (Wong 114-115).

It should be noted that many of the reported dates relating to Queen Suriyothai (as well as some Royal Chronicles) are in conflict. As a consequence, some scholars debate the story’s accuracy. For example, Michael Wright believes that the famous elephant duel was fought instead by a 16-year-old princess named Phra Boromdhilok (Warren 156-157). Regardless of the story's authenticity, Queen Suriyothai holds a highly esteemed position in the country's national pride. In 2001, a popular film was made about her by MC Chatrichalerm Yukol (also known as Prince Than Mun). This movie had the highest budget available for any Thai film up to that time, and it went on to gross the highest rate of box office sales.